Turn a photo into a pencil sketch
Convert a photo into a pencil sketch with realistic lines and shading, computed from grayscale levels and an inverted blur. Adjust the blur and the line intensity for a softer or bolder result.
How it works
The photo is converted to grayscale, then an inverted, blurred version of that gray image is used as an overlay layer in "color dodge" blend mode. This blend strongly lightens low-contrast areas (the "paper") and keeps sharp transitions (the "lines"), simulating the effect of a pencil on paper.
Why adjust the shading blur?
The blur radius determines the apparent width of the lines: a low blur produces thin, crisp lines close to a quick sketch, while a high blur gives a softer look with charcoal-style gray gradients.
Is the result always black and white?
Yes, the pencil effect relies entirely on the grayscale levels of the original image. Colors are not taken into account in the final result, just like a real graphite pencil drawing.
The blur and blend calculations run pixel by pixel directly in your browser: your photo is never sent to a server.